n this unit we will focus on why China failed to adapt to the changing times, and how Europeans in a few decades were able to subjugate this once powerful nation. We will begin our examination with a quick look at 18th century China and her relationship with the west. The chapter in the text which deals with this entire unit is "Seaborne Barbarians: Incursions by the West" (Chapter 2: pp. 69-90, and 105-108). China in the 18th Century
Watch the video link below. Be sure to take note on points that are important. Answer the following questions, and then share your answers with your neighbor. Think-Pair-Share.
What was the basis of China's economy? Industrial or agricultural?
How did Emperor Kangxi create an agricultural boom in China?
What item was produced in cottage industries in China?
How was China's industrial revolution unlike that of Europe's?
What items did the West want from China? What was the most coveted item?
Why were the Europeans not satisfied with the balance of trade situation with China?
Note that the video ends abruptly.
The Macartney Mission of 1792–94: Lord Macartney meets Qianlong (in class assignment)
We are going to do a one act play about this historical event. Prior to doing this, though, you are going to address a couple of important issues as if you are an adviser to Lord Macrartney. Those issues are:
What are the correct rituals that one must fulfill when seeking and having an audience with the emperor of China? Why is it important that these actions be fulfilled? Start your research at Asia for Educators from Columbia University
Make a list of tribute to give the emperor that would demonstrate the technological and cultural accomplishments of Great Britain. Determine why these items are valuable.
Use the school library or go on-line to find out about the above:
The play roles will be determined in class.
An electronic copy of the play:
The Opium Wars established the domination of China by Western powers, and eventually by Japan. This point in China's history is so important in creating the conditions which lead to the partitioning of many parts of China into concessionaires. Watch the video below to get an introduction to this cataclysmic event for China.
Your mission is to understand the actions taken by the Chinese to address the problems associated with the opium trade, and how deeply their society was affected by not just the wars, but by the opium use within their nation. Go to the link above to see what your first mission is during this period.
The Opium Wars & Their Results
Essential Question: Was the Opium War just about opium?
The Opium Wars led to the forced opening up of China to primarily western powers. The many treaties that resulted from the war are what China disliked most. They were the shame that China has sought to overturn. Those 'unequal treaties' are of importance to our understanding of China's position then and how the see themselves today.
For those of you so inclined, I have a link to a lecture by Harvard's Extension School Distance Education
Using the map given to you in class note the cities and territories taken over by foreign powers in China.
To accomplish this examine the Treaty of Nanking (and other Unequal Treaties) Follow the treaties from the Treaty of Nanking 1842 - Twenty-one Demands 1915). Best to use the wikipedia source as a point of departure
You are marking territories and cities taken by foreign powers.
Use abbreviations:
Br. - Britain, Fr. - France, Rus. - Russia, Ger. - Germany, Port. - Portugal, Jpn. - Japan, U.S. - United States
Be sure to parenthetically note the date of the take over, i.e. Tsingtao Ger. (1858)
Completed maps are neat and historically accurate. Use color or designs to indicate areas. Labeled areas and cities.
Assignment 2
Answer the following question by first preparing a retrieval chart on the Treaty of Nanking and on the Qianlong's Edicts. Compare the Treaty of Nanjing with the Chinese emperor's reply to Lord Macartney. What sort of rights did the Chinese give to the British that they previously refused to give?
Homework for Opium War I
Read pp. 80-90 and answer the questions below.
How did the industrial revolution result in Britain seeking markets in China?
What was the role of the British East India Company in the opium trade? What seems to be hypocritical about their actions?
How did the British see opium? Was this congruent to how opium was being used by the Chinese population? Explain.
Identify and explain the causes of the First Opium War.
What were the ‘unequal treaties’? How did the Chinese court view them? How did the British and French respond to their [the Chinese court] action (or inaction)? You will have to read the box on p. 95 for this.
Read p. 89. History can sometimes be seen as “missed opportunities.” What ‘missed opportunities’ are identified on this page that the Chinese ceased to exploit. What were the Japanese doing at this time?
Read the quote below. Identify from what perspective it is written and to what events/issues the author is specifically speaking
-"It is monstrous in barbarians to attempt to improve the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire when they are so miserably deficient themselves. Thus, introducing a poisonous drug for their own benefit and to the injury of others, they are deficient in benevolence. Sending their fleets and armies to rob other nations, they can make no pretense to rectitude . . .
How can they expect to renovate others? They allow the rich and noble to enter office without passing through any literary examinations, and do not open the road to advancement to the poorest and meanest in the land. From this it appears that foreigners are inferior to the Chinese and therefore must be unfit to instruct them." "Impacts of New Technologies" Questions for review. Done in hard copy to be handed in for homework grade.
Read p. 102 “Impacts of New Technologies” (include the box reading, “The Nature of Imperialism”) to p.108.
What was the significance of the Suez Canal in terms of European imperialism into the Far East?
How did steam ships change the course of transportation in terms of weather and ports?
How did the telegraphy impact on the knowledge gap in the West regarding East Asia?
Provide evidence that the Pacific was becoming an American lake by the end of the 19th century.
What was the Open Door policy? Why did America want it implemented? How was it a wise decision for European powers to accept it, at least in principle?
There was mass migration of Chinese ‘coolie’ labor to places outside of China. Why, eventually, did the governments of Canada and the USA begin a policy of restricting Chinese migration? (see lecture points in below file).
Chinese Immigration to North America
These are the notes to which the last question above should be able to address. Listen carefully, there are more than one reason for just about everything.
For those of you that are interested in the experience of the Canadian Head Tax on the Chinese, and a history of this dark moment in Canadian history, please see the film, In the Shadow of Gold Mountain (NFB Canada).
n this unit we will focus on why China failed to adapt to the changing times, and how Europeans in a few decades were able to subjugate this once powerful nation. We will begin our examination with a quick look at 18th century China and her relationship with the west. The chapter in the text which deals with this entire unit is "Seaborne Barbarians: Incursions by the West" (Chapter 2: pp. 69-90, and 105-108).
China in the 18th Century
Watch the video link below. Be sure to take note on points that are important. Answer the following questions, and then share your answers with your neighbor. Think-Pair-Share.
The Macartney Mission of 1792–94: Lord Macartney meets Qianlong (in class assignment)
We are going to do a one act play about this historical event. Prior to doing this, though, you are going to address a couple of important issues as if you are an adviser to Lord Macrartney. Those issues are:
- What are the correct rituals that one must fulfill when seeking and having an audience with the emperor of China? Why is it important that these actions be fulfilled? Start your research at Asia for Educators from Columbia University
- Make a list of tribute to give the emperor that would demonstrate the technological and cultural accomplishments of Great Britain. Determine why these items are valuable.
- Use the school library or go on-line to find out about the above:
The play roles will be determined in class.An electronic copy of the play:
A thorough description of the event (most of the questions above can be answered from this article):
The Opium Wars
The Opium Wars established the domination of China by Western powers, and eventually by Japan. This point in China's history is so important in creating the conditions which lead to the partitioning of many parts of China into concessionaires. Watch the video below to get an introduction to this cataclysmic event for China.Your mission is to understand the actions taken by the Chinese to address the problems associated with the opium trade, and how deeply their society was affected by not just the wars, but by the opium use within their nation. Go to the link above to see what your first mission is during this period.
The Opium Wars & Their Results
Essential Question: Was the Opium War just about opium?The Opium Wars led to the forced opening up of China to primarily western powers. The many treaties that resulted from the war are what China disliked most. They were the shame that China has sought to overturn. Those 'unequal treaties' are of importance to our understanding of China's position then and how the see themselves today.
For those of you so inclined, I have a link to a lecture by Harvard's Extension School Distance Education
I)
Read the following page The Opium War and Foreign Encroachment
II)
Read the following page Lin Zexu (Lin Tse-Hsu), Letter of Advice to Queen Victoria (1839)
III)
Read the following page Conditions of the Treaty of Nanking
IV)
Read the following page Qianlong's Edicts on the Visit of Lord Macartney (1793)
V)
Map Showing the Effects of Western Imperialism in China
Assignment 1
- Map:
- Using the map given to you in class note the cities and territories taken over by foreign powers in China.
- To accomplish this examine the Treaty of Nanking (and other Unequal Treaties) Follow the treaties from the Treaty of Nanking 1842 - Twenty-one Demands 1915). Best to use the wikipedia source as a point of departure
- You are marking territories and cities taken by foreign powers.
- Use abbreviations:
- Br. - Britain, Fr. - France, Rus. - Russia, Ger. - Germany, Port. - Portugal, Jpn. - Japan, U.S. - United States
- Be sure to parenthetically note the date of the take over, i.e. Tsingtao Ger. (1858)
- Completed maps are neat and historically accurate. Use color or designs to indicate areas. Labeled areas and cities.
Assignment 2Homework for Opium War I
Read pp. 80-90 and answer the questions below.
- How did the industrial revolution result in Britain seeking markets in China?
- What was the role of the British East India Company in the opium trade? What seems to be hypocritical about their actions?
- How did the British see opium? Was this congruent to how opium was being used by the Chinese population? Explain.
- Identify and explain the causes of the First Opium War.
- What were the ‘unequal treaties’? How did the Chinese court view them? How did the British and French respond to their [the Chinese court] action (or inaction)? You will have to read the box on p. 95 for this.
- Read p. 89. History can sometimes be seen as “missed opportunities.” What ‘missed opportunities’ are identified on this page that the Chinese ceased to exploit. What were the Japanese doing at this time?
- Read the quote below. Identify from what perspective it is written and to what events/issues the author is specifically speaking
-"It is monstrous in barbarians to attempt to improve the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire when they are so miserably deficient themselves. Thus, introducing a poisonous drug for their own benefit and to the injury of others, they are deficient in benevolence. Sending their fleets and armies to rob other nations, they can make no pretense to rectitude . . .How can they expect to renovate others? They allow the rich and noble to enter office without passing through any literary examinations, and do not open the road to advancement to the poorest and meanest in the land. From this it appears that foreigners are inferior to the Chinese and therefore must be unfit to instruct them."
"Impacts of New Technologies" Questions for review. Done in hard copy to be handed in for homework grade.
Read p. 102 “Impacts of New Technologies” (include the box reading, “The Nature of Imperialism”) to p.108.
Chinese Immigration to North America
These are the notes to which the last question above should be able to address. Listen carefully, there are more than one reason for just about everything.
For those of you that are interested in the experience of the Canadian Head Tax on the Chinese, and a history of this dark moment in Canadian history, please see the film, In the Shadow of Gold Mountain (NFB Canada).